Judges
Chapter 18
The Danites
At that time, there was no king in Israel. The tribe of Dan was looking for a territory to dwell in because, until that day, they had not received a share in the inheritance of the tribes of Israel.
So the Danites sent five valiant men from Zorah and Eshtaol—all from the Danite tribe—to go around the land and explore it. They said to them, “Go and explore the country.” These men came to the mountains of Ephraim near Micah’s house and spent the night there.
When they were near the house, they recognized the voice of the young Levite, so they went in. They asked him:
“Who has brought you here? What are you doing in this place? Why are you here?”
He answered:
“Such and such a thing Micah has done for me. He has hired me to become his priest.”
They told him:
“Ask God so we may know whether the journey we are making shall be successful or not.”
The priest answered them:
“Go in peace; the journey you make is under the eye of the Lord.”
The five men left and came to Laish. They saw that the inhabitants of that place were living in security according to the customs of the Sidonians—quiet and trusting people—with no one creating trouble. They lived far from the Sidonians and had no dealings with anyone else.
Upon their return to their brothers in Zorah and Eshtaol,
they were asked:
“What news do you bring?”
They answered:
“Come on, let us go and attack them, for the country we have seen is an excellent place. But why are you silent? Do not delay in setting out to conquer the land.
When you go, you shall meet quiet people; the land is vast, and God has given it into our hands, a place that does not lack anything.”
So six hundred armed men of the tribe of Dan set out from Zorah and Eshtaol;
they went up and encamped at Kiriath-jearim in Judah.
From there, they passed through the mountains of Ephraim and came to the house of Micah.
Then, the five men who had gone to explore the land addressed their brothers and said:
“Do you not know that in one of these houses, there is an ephod used to consult the Lord, some small idols, and a statue cast in metal? Now, decide what you have to do.”
The troops detoured and entered the house of the young Levite, the house of Micah. They greeted him
while the six hundred armed Danites stood at the gate’s threshold.
Then the five men who had earlier gone up to explore the land went up again, entered Micah’s house
and took the statue, the ephod that is used to consult the Lord and the small idols, while the priest stood at the gate with the six hundred armed men. The priest said to them:
“What are you doing?”
They said to him:
“Be quiet! Put your hand on your mouth and come with us. You shall be a father and priest to us. Do you prefer to be a priest in one individual’s house or a priest for a tribe of Israel?”
This pleased the priest, so he took the ephod, the small idols, and the statue and went with the troops.
The Danites continued their journey, moving the women, children, livestock, and valuable items in front of them.
They were already far from Micah’s house when the people from nearby houses began shouting and set out to chase after them.
But the Danites turned back and asked Micah:
“Why are you shouting?”
He answered:
“You have taken the gods I made, and my priest is going away with you. What else is left to me? And yet you still ask me: ‘What is the matter with you?’”
The Danites answered him:
“Be quiet now lest some ill-tempered men fall upon you and kill you and your household.”
So the Danites went their way, and Micah, seeing that they were stronger, returned home.
As for them, they now had the gods Micah had made and the priest he served, and they marched against Laish, a peaceful and trusting people. They killed the inhabitants and burned the city.
No one came to help them, because they lived far from Sidon and had no contact with others. This city was in the valley that stretched to Beth-Rehob.
The Danites rebuilt the city and settled there, naming it Dan after their ancestor Dan, son of Israel. But the city was originally called Laish.
They set aside a place for the statue, and Jonathan—a descendant of Gershom, son of Moses—and his sons after him became priests of the tribe of Dan until the people were driven out of the land.
They set up Micah’s image, and there it remained as long as the house of God was in Shiloh.
Commentaries
Micah, the Idol, and the Levite – The Danites.
With Samson’s death, the series of judges and heroes concludes. The book’s epilogue highlights two horrible acts committed by the children of Israel in the mountains of Ephraim. The lack of authority allows priests to act freely. Remember that the men of the tribe of Levi were dedicated to worship (Num 3). As the story unfolds, the epilogue shows that there was no king in Israel at that time. Everyone did what was right in their own eyes (17:6; 18:1; 19:1; 21:25). Each new section begins with the expectation of the worst, as God remains “silent,” and the Israelites are unable to seek justice. There is no leader with the moral strength to unite the tribes in worshiping the Lord. What happens when we attempt to live without God, each of us doing what seems reasonable in our own eyes?